Sexism is Not Part of Islam: Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Says Driving “Exposes Women to Evil”

Every time I read a “religious” edict about the “devilish horrors” of Muslim women, my brain freezes, and my blood boils, while my heart shatters with grief and despair. It happened again today when I read the latest (sexist) statements from Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, as he was defending the fatwa (law) that bans women from driving.

According to The Independent, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti said that allowing Saudi women to drive is “a dangerous matter that exposes women to evil.” He also said that men with “weak spirits” and who are “obsessed with women” could cause female drivers harm, while adding that families “would not know where women were.”

It simultaneously angers and saddens me that he believes the only way to “protect” women is by oppressing them.

Testimonies that degrade and objectify women while at the same time symbolizing them as sinful, evil, and seductive are, unfortunately, not uncommon. These narratives become even more cringeworthy when the name of Allah and Islam are invoked as misguided justifications for the abuse, oppression, sexism, chauvinism, and humiliation of women.

Why are we held responsible for the inability of some men to control their lust, and their behaviors? Holding women responsible does two things–it absolves men from their bad behavior, and tells them it’s not their responsibility, when oh, yes it is, and it teaches women that something they did caused this. It amounts to gender apartheid, and that is not something that has ever been, nor ever will be, Islamic.

Allah didn’t command women to be responsible for the virtue or behaviors of men, nor vice versa.

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)…And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things).” — Qur’an 24:30-31

This is Allah’s command to both men and women in practicing virtue.

Why, then, are men’s weaknesses and obsessions excused, while women bear the brunt–and loss of privileges–because of the misconduct of men?

Islam is perfect, but Muslims are not. Islam is not responsible for the abuse done in its name. tweet

Imposed cultural and social norms practiced in the name of religion are to blame for discriminatory ideologies that belittle Muslim women. Unless Muslims recognize this reality, we will continue to live in jahiliyyah (ignorance). Socio-economist Camillia El-Solh wrote, “The living reality of Islam is permeated by much ‘cultural baggage’ to the extent that the boundaries between religion and culture may often be blurred.”

From a young age, growing up in Saudi Arabia, my family, my teachers, and the larger society made sure I understood that Islam said I was created from a crooked rib. I was taught that it was a sin to raise my voice, and that it was my religious duty to unquestionably please and obey my husband, because his satisfaction was my gateway to Paradise.

I never believed that Allah created me to be a second-class citizen; a submissive human being, whose existence was mainly to fulfill my husband’s demands. After all, the fourth chapter of the Qur’an carries the name “Women,” yet there’s no chapter titled in honor of men. tweet

Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, used to stand up whenever his daughter Fatima entered the room, and greet her with love. There is no mention in any book or biography of him once dehumanizing, disrespecting, or beating any woman–or any human being for that matter. “Women are the twin-halves of men,” he said, peace be upon him.

During the Islamic Society of North America convention in 2014, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf said, “Prophet Mohammad is the first human being to articulate the equality of men and women. I’ve never found anybody in the history of humanity before him to ever articulate that men and women are essentially the same: before their Lord they are both spiritual beings with the same rights”.

Given all of this, I can’t make sense of the Sheikh’s prejudices, especially when he is geographically located near some of the holiest of places, where some of the best Muslim female companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stepped foot 1430 years ago.

Thinking of this reminded me of one of Islam’s fearless female warriors, Nusaybah bent Ka’b al-Ansariyya. During the battle of Uhud, when some of the archers disobeyed the Prophet, peace be upon him, and abandoned the posts they were given, Nusaybah grabbed a sword and rushed to the Prophet. She wouldn’t let anyone get near him. The Prophet said that no matter what direction he turned on the battlefield, he could see her defending and protecting him. Her skill with the sword astonished those who saw her. She boldly defied traditional gender roles, without a second thought. Why didn’t the Prophet scorn her actions to defend him? Why didn’t he tell her to stay home, and spare the weak and uncontrollable men who may desire her? Because Islam does not differentiate between sexes when it comes to actions that either please or displease Allah and His messenger.

In an open letter that Hiba Khan wrote to Muslim men, angrily voicing her concerns over the oppression of Muslim women she says:

“I recognize the irony of the fact that the first university in the world was established by a Muslim woman, yet today many are denied an education. That the Prophet Mohammed fought on horseback alongside a woman, and yet now, many are told to stay in their houses and denied the right to drive…Despite your fervent attempts to use mistranslations and misinterpretations of scripture and tradition to satisfy your desires, we don’t believe you. We do not need strengthening, we need recognition of the different forms our strength comes in”.

Her words resonated deeply with me as I recalled names of inspiring Muslim female leaders like Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Aisha bint Abi Bakr, Khalwa bint al-Azwar, Zaynab bint Ali, and Asiya, the wife of the Pharaoh. How would these noble women react to what the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia said?

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When I read MOST of women will go in hell, that a female’s pee needs to be washed, and not the male one (found in hadiths, I think they are saheeh but not 100% sure), females are more dirty than men? that a woman witness is not as much as a man witness (for the same reason that the “hell” fact, woman are not trustable), I wonder if it doesn’t lead to mysogynism. Equality? What does it mean? Where? Women before islam were very independant, as Khadidja job status shows us. She were rulling herself her firm. There is no evidence of the alive female burrial tradition in ancient arabs, it seems a myth. I ask for history & archeological proof if I am wrong.

The mutilation of a womans privates is a horrendous act that does not have to do with religion. It is actually in Africa that older women do this and actually happens in counties with a majority of Christians such as Uganda. Please do research before commenting

Hahahahah your pathetic so called ‘feminist’ idea of Islam please just fuck off we don’t need any more white feminist telling us what to do what’s right in our religion what’s wrong etc you see honey use your brain that god gave you I’m sure you have one right? Or is it corrupted by your sluttish behaviour that you seem to call ‘freedom’? Well I feel sorry for you actually we Muslim girls pity girls like you who get used by guys for their own sexual gratification and you don’t think with your brain you think with your heart this means that you have no logic whatsoever and this can also already make you look stupid as it is please don’t quote Hadith or The Quran as your not a Muslim and therefore you have no right to comment on this website are you blind? It’s called ‘Muslim girl’ which means that it applies to Muslim girls ONLY not girls like you who are soooo cheap that guys use on a daily basis. Hahaha your comment is not very accurate seeing that your not a Muslim but a regular slut ‘not 100% sure’ honey before you jump into conclusions you need to calm down from your white feminist high horse and listen do your own research women in the 1920s where denied the right to vote Islam gave us that 1400 years ago long before your suffergate movement started also Khadijah was an independent Muslim women who owned her own business and Aisha was a great scholar of Hadith memorised many of them and was a great symbolic of Muslim women empowerment so please don’t jump into conclusions without doing your own homework honey Hmmm you seem to be asking a lot of questions I would advice you to try talking to a Muslim feminist and see what she says because most of your pints are just plain ignorance really social media seemed to have enslaved you bitch BBC news, Fox News, CNN have done pretty well in brainwashing you haven’t they??? Not just for your own pathetic opinion on Muslim girls but also regular sluts like you poor girl enslaved to society. I feel sorry for you like I said we Muslim girls pity girls or should I say sluts like you who guys use on a daily basis for pleasure….

Shit piece of racist, thank you for showing everyone your true face. Nazi. I’m not a feminist, but you are a smelling ass, we need to make the world free of your race and ideology before your nazist ideas try to kill the white you hate so much, now we know, you are a danger for us, we should definitevely put you in a hole, with the shit from your ass, and put the fire. That’s the way to deal with racist nazist before they spread the death. No wonder the muslim brings the death with them, you are so jealous and racist, digusting people, just hating and killing, it’s the only thing you are able to do. Fed up with animal like you. Racist needs to be considered as animals.

Thanks for letting me know the true perspective of Islam with respect to women. I was researching to see if it was for me. I definitely won’t accept the religion of someone who insults anybody like that 🙂 Especially when she brought some fair points.

i am Christian but i love the Muslimgirl, i read it everyday, and i get that the whole idea is the make people see the Islam you believe in, your true Islam and i respect it. however, i am Nigerian and i live here but trust me it is a different ball game entirely here (same with Christianity, because of cultural differences), Muslim girls (not all) themselves will give you reasons why fashion is Haram, why they can’t be certain things because it’s a man’s job (and trust me Nigerian women are progressive), why it is a woman’s fault if she is raped and defend Saudi Arabia’s and Nigeria’s misogynist laws. most of them backing it up with teachings from their clergy. i don’t mean to put Islam down i would never do that, and i am a feminist fighting for rights of women whether or not their hairs are covered or not. it happens with Christian women too.
in essence, i love what you guys do and i am proud to be a girl but while you are in the west and have opportunities there are a lot of your sisters in Islam that don’t, because they are told not to question what their teachers teach them.